From the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 5) for Virginia Brights Cigarettes 1885 - 1891

Curator: This charming little card, a combined print and photomontage, comes from a series made between 1885 and 1891 by Allen & Ginter to promote Virginia Brights Cigarettes. It’s titled “From the Actors and Actresses series (N45, Type 5)." Editor: It strikes me as unexpectedly whimsical, considering its function as an advertisement. The woman in striped stockings sitting on a swing – it almost has a fairytale quality to it. Curator: Absolutely. In the late 19th century, these cards often featured performers or other figures admired by the public. These figures functioned as archetypes of success and aspiration in the budding American consumer culture. Editor: So the very act of collecting these was a form of aspirational consumption itself. How interesting. I am also drawn to the subject's attire and expression. Is there a tension between spectacle and subversion present in the image? It feels both playful and provocative. Curator: It's a carefully constructed illusion, definitely. The swing evokes innocence and playfulness. I wonder, also, if the swing refers to a form of entertainment: in theatre and performance, the concept of swinging between roles or acts carries multiple meanings, and a complex and emotionally potent charge. Editor: The stripes read very American to our eyes. But putting the flag on this…objectified, idealized body seems designed to incite something akin to nationalistic consumerism. Were such images controversial? Curator: It’s hard to say definitively, as reception is a complex thing. We are looking through a long temporal lens now. But yes, no doubt many observers noted and reacted to that exact combination of idealized womanhood and brazen branding! Editor: So in a way, this innocuous little card becomes a potent reflection of the values, aspirations, and also the tensions of its era. Curator: Indeed. What appears light and frivolous becomes, upon closer inspection, a mirror reflecting the complexities of a rapidly changing society, full of yearning and conflict. Editor: Thank you; it’s astonishing how such a small object can open such large windows onto the past.